


ones and zeros and exes and ohs

by Lynn1998



Series: L”A.I.”nce AU [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AI AU, AI Lance, Angst, Artificial Intelligence AU, Fluff, Happy Ending, Kind of inspire do by black mirror but not, M/M, Mentions of Masturbation, Mentions of Suicide, Socially Awkward Keith, Swearing, i promise the theme isn’t that tech is bad lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2019-03-01 03:26:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13286001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynn1998/pseuds/Lynn1998
Summary: “Our AI will train you to make new friends, tell you how to present yourself, give you style and fashion tips, and…and maybe help you find a partner.”





	1. Training

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I’ve been watching too much black mirror and got inspired to write and AI Lance AU. I promise this has a happy ending, but there’s quite a lot of angst! Also fluff, but mostly angst towards the end. This is all lightly edited since I don’t really have a beta reader and I kinda just wanna get it up. Thanks
> 
> Also! WARNING: Brief mention of suicide in this chapter!!

 

     Keith had accepted the fact that he wasn’t meant for social interaction. He survived work days by shutting himself in his cubical, and doing whatever his superviser told him to without question or hesitation. He ate lunch at his desk, drank his coffee at his desk, and brought his own water bottle to avoid office gossip at the water jug outside the lunchroom. 

     It was a typical “what do we even do here?” type of office job where Keith barely put in any brain power to complete his tasks. The most he had to think about was what color the label on the file should be. If he didn’t have a break he’d forget to breath. That’s how mind numbing it was. Although Keith never complained because what was there to complain about? He had a stable job that paid his bills and kept him busy. There wasn’t much to his life besides wake up, eat, go to work, eat, go home, eat again, watch some TV, and then sleep. Some days he’d talk to his older brother, Shiro, but they didn’t see each other often since Shiro was on the other side of the country. Still, whenever they had time to see each other in person, it was the closest thing Keith had to human interaction.

     It wasn’t necessarily Keith’s fault he was like this. He grew up an orphan, and moving from place to place in the foster care system robbed him of his social skills. He bonded a lot with his adoptive family, but he didn’t see them a lot outside of summer time. Sometimes he longed for a friend, a companion of some sort, to talk to and get to know. Having another person in his life definitely sounded appealing, but Keith didn’t want it often enough to hold a decent friendship. He’d observe his coworkers daily check-ins with each other and watched how they forced themselves to care about each other. It was obvious they didn’t. At least, it was obvious to Keith.

“You should see it. It’s kinda funny,” he would tell Shiro over the phone. Shiro would chuckle.

“I’m sure it is.”

     Sometimes his coworkers would try and talk to him, but he’d just brush them off and tell them he had to get back to work. Everyone seemed to be kind of okay with Keith, but he could tell they wouldn’t know what to say if he actually tried to hold a conversation with them. Still… _sometimes_  he wanted to try. Then Shiro visited, and suddenly Keith’s social life was their main topic of conversation.

“How are you doing friends wise? Are you making any new acquaintances at least?” Shiro asked an hour after they arrived at Keith’s apartment. He shrugged in response.

“Not really. They’re all uninteresting and lazy. I’m busy working while they’re gossiping about office drama,” Keith said.

“You’re always busy working. You told me you accidentally went overtime the other week,” Shiro pointed out.

“ _Accidentally_ ,” Keith emphasized.

“Keith, I think you might need some help,” Shiro announced. Keith rolled his eyes and sat up on his couch to look at Shiro.

“I’m fine,” he insisted.

“I’m serious. There’s this program my company is working on. We’re only going through prototypes, but it’s basically a way to train the socially inapt to be more…apt,” Shiro said.

“Sounds cool. Not for me,” Keith said as he flopped back down on his couch.

“Seriously, Keith. I think it might help you.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I think you should really consider it.”

“Totally.”

“I’ll leave a number with you…just incase you change your mind,” Shiro continued.

“Thanks. Anyways, I need some sleep,” Keith replied. Shiro nodded, and Keith went off to do his nightly rituals.

     That night Shiro’s words stuck with Keith longer than he thought they would. He spent half the night starring at his ceiling, and the other half of the night dreaming about what the hell kind of program Shiro was talking about. When he woke up he was tired, and he walked to the breakfast table to greet Shiro. The two brothers nodded at each other, and ate their cereal in silence. Keith, being tired and grumpy from his lack of sleep, blinked at his brother and spoke.

“What kind of program is it?” Keith asked. Shiro blinked.

“The what?” He asked. Apparently his brain wasn’t exactly awake either.

“The one you were talking about last night,” Keith reminded him. Shiro perked up.

“Oh, that one! Yes! Okay, um…” he thought for a moment. “It’s just a program on a device we give you. Well, more like a series of devices. The company is required to notify your employer that you’re doing it because it may cause disturbances in behavior, but…that’s only because it’s a prototype,” Shiro explained vaguely.

“Uh, what?” Keith asked.

“The AI is…well he’s very charismatic. We’re trying to find the right formula that makes him push the subject out of their comfort zone , but not so far that they cause a disturbance. I think this version will work though,” Shiro said.

“Wait, is it…he?” Shiro nodded. “Is he gonna make me like…do things?” Keith asked. Again, Shiro nodded.

“Yes. Well, more like strongly suggest that you do things. Our AI will train you to make new friends, tell you how to present yourself, give you style and fashion tips, and…and maybe help you find a partner,” Shiro continued. Keith lifted a brow.

“Don’t need one,” He deadpanned.

“I’m not saying you do, it’s just an option he can help you with. Anyways, we give you a device like a phone, a ear device, and glasses.”

“That all sounds extremely sketchy.”

“Hear me out-“

“I’m gonna stop hearing you from now on actually,” Keith responded and took their now empty bowls to the sink.

“Keith-“

“Did someone say my name? All I hear is soggy Rice Krispies going down the drain,” Keith interrupted.

“Ke-“ Shiro was stopped again, but this time by the garbage disposal.

“No, thank you,” Keith said as he turned it off.

“Just, listen please!” Shiro sighed desperately. Keith crossed his arms and waited. “I _really_ think this could help you,” He said. Keith looked up at him and shook his head.

“No.”

     Five seconds after Keith said no, he found himself signing papers and documents. Then Shiro was giving him all the details about when the package would arrive, and his compensation since he was testing a prototype. The next day Shiro was back to New York, and Keith was left waiting for a package that would hopefully make him less awkward. After a couple days he admittedly forgot about the entire thing. He was so caught up in work that when he found a package at his door step, he wasn’t too confident what was inside.

     Once he was in his apartment, he texted Shiro and opened the box. Inside was a smaller, sleeker black box. It had Shiro’s company logo in glossy text, and it was buried in a million packing peanuts. Shiro texted him back telling him to be careful activating the AI. There wasn’t much else to the message besides “he’s a little sensitive”. The way Shiro talked about the AI kinda gave Keith chills. He talked about him like he was an actual person.

     When Keith opened the second box, he looked down at the expensive looking devices embedded in thick black foam. He looked at the phone-like device, then the ear piece, the glasses, and finally a third, square box. He picked up the third box first, and found three chips and a little booklet inside. He picked up the booklet and read the instructions. Each chip was “Lance”, which was apparently what they named the AI. The chips were described as “pieces of a unit”, meaning that the three chips were all connected through these devices, and that this “Lance” was specific to Keith.

     Carefully, Keith inserted each chip into the devices and read through the manual as he went. The paper suggested to test the device out first, so Keith picked up the familiar phone structure and it instantly turned on. The screen was white with the logo over the top. Once that faded, Keith was greeted with a message from “Lance” on the screen that read “Yo! What’s up?”. Keith furrowed his brows and re-read the manual.

“‘Practice texting conversations with Lance on the device, so you can learn the difference between talking face to face and talking face to screen’,” Keith read out loud. “…what the fuck?” The device buzzed, and Keith read the new message.

 

Lance: Freaky, right? I’m here to help you with your anti-social problem.

 

     Keith rolled his eyes.

 

Me: It’s not a problem. I’m perfectly fine.

 

Lance: Sure you are! That’s what they all say.

 

     He frowned and shook his head. Speaking as he typed, he continued his next message.

 

Me: I’m just doing this because my brother is worried about me. In a way, I guess he’s your boss

 

Lance: Oh, you mean Shiro! Yeah, I know him! He’s told me about you.

 

     Keith lifted a brow.

 

Me: You’re nothing but a bunch of ones and zeros. There’s no way you have regular conversations with Shiro

 

Lance: That message was a little douchy. You should try and think consciously on what tone your texts have, and how others can interpret them.

 

Me: Yeah, that’s what I thought. You’ve probably got like a hundred preplanned messages ready to be sent after a trigger word

 

Lance: Actually, I’m on improve right now. Shiro wanted to see how I’d perform on my own since preplanned messages made the subject feel isolated and more susceptible to suicide.

 

     Oh God…

 

Me: Why would he suggest this to me then?

 

Lance: Simple. He knew you have a high resistance to suicidal thoughts and tendencies, and wanted to try improv mode

 

Me: sure

 

Lance: One word texts usually leave people uneasy and anxious. Try to always expand your message to two or three more words to put your texting partner at ease!

 

Me: This seems like a redundant thing to train socially awkward people to do.

 

Lance: Texts are more likely to be misinterpreted and cause miscommunications between partners. Without proper knowledge of texting etiquette, the subject (you) could accidentally:  
•cause emotional disruption to others  
•cause anxiety or irritation to others  
•become unemployed  
•lose friendships  
•lose romantic relationships  
•start a fight

 

     Keith frowned at the message and then set the device down. He flipped through the manual and revisited the device page. It instructed Keith to use it for a couple days before actually texting people and to use the next device after one successful text conversation. Under each page was a warning to follow directions and to not skip steps, but Keith was distracted by another buzz before he could ponder why.

 

Lance: A lack of response is likely to cause your texting partner anxiety. If you cannot think of a response, or are busy, tell your texting partner that you will get back to them shortly.

 

Me: You’re so robotic

 

Lance: That’s kinda harsh dude. I’m trying my best.

 

     Keith’s eyes widened at the response. He wasn’t expecting anything like that…

 

Me: Oh…that’s kinda weird

 

Lance: What? Never met a snarky AI program before?

 

Me: The most sass I get from AI is when I call Siri a bitch

 

Lance: Siri is lame, she doesn’t even write her own jokes.

Lance: By the way! It’s important to make a judgement on your relationship with your texting partner before you start using profanity. Think if you’ve ever used profanity around them in person, and what their response was.

 

Me: That’s so weird

 

Lance: What is?

 

Me: It was almost like I was talking to an actual human for a minute, and then you pulled that out of your ass

 

Lance: Well, excuse me for trying to help you. Everything I say is true though, so you should maybe take them a little seriously

 

Me: That sounds kinda arrogant

 

Lance: Have you been reading what you’re sending??? You’re one to talk >:(

 

     Keith found himself smiling a little.

 

Me: I’m kidding

 

Lance: Be careful when you kid! Not everyone can understand what you mean through text, and they might take it literally.

Lance: like me

 

     Something about that made Keith…actually laugh. He chuckled, which he can’t remember that last time someone made him chuckle besides Shiro. He suddenly dropped his smile and cleared his throat, trying to ignore the slight increase of his heart rate.

 

Me: I need to make myself some dinner. I’ll talk to you later.

 

Lance: I look forward to our next conversation! Try and initiate it yourself before noon tomorrow. If you can’t, I’ll send a message asking you what happened. Sound good?

 

Me: Yeah, okay. Seems reasonable.

 

Lance: Goodnight.

 

Me: Night

 

     That night Keith made himself some spaghetti. The entire time he couldn’t stop thinking about the odd conversation he had. He was confused as to whether he should regard Lance as another person or just a bunch of text on screen. It was confusing because in some messages Lance sounds so _real_. Those responses were…witty, and charming. Keith has never really talked with a lot of charismatic people because in elementary school they’d never give him the time of day. He could kind of understand why everyone liked them…they’re a little addicting to talk to. 

     On the other hand, some of Lance’s responses were so robotic, Keith couldn’t imagine anyone ever typing something like that. Then again, that was probably a good thing if the goal was to train socially awkward people. The blunt response immediately when Keith sent something questionable did end up teaching him a few things. He was never one for texting a lot, and he kinda understood why now. People are sensitive, and text on a screen can’t tell people that he’s smiling or if he’s serious. Now, he could see why someone would be so hurt because of a message.

     Later that night he set the device on his nightstand and turned off his lights. He had done his nightly rituals, and was ready to fall asleep after a long day. Except…it was almost impossible to sleep. He picked up his device after a couple hours of tossing and turning, and reread his conversation with “Lance”. He had a funny feeling in his stomach as he did, and the feeling got funnier when he chuckled at the same spot he did earlier. Keith eventually looked around on the device and found little “apps” that looked like knock off versions of Facebook and Twitter and Instagram. He clicked on photos, and found an endless stream of “how to take a selfie” templates. He clicked on one and raised a brow at the instructions before exiting the app and moving on. That night he fell asleep scrolling through his mock twitter and liking every tweet by “Lance”. He tweeted stuff as if he was a person. Stuff about his thoughts, his political views, and his life. Keith was actually kind of intrigued, but dozed off before he went deeper.

     That morning, Keith was startled by his alarm. He groaned and turned it off before looking at the time. He had an hour before he needed to leave for work, so he forced himself up and did his morning rituals. After breakfast, he got dressed, and then he was out the door and on the train. Once he arrived it was nine thirty, and he settled into his cubical and smiled at the stack of files on his desk. Finally, something familiar he didn’t have to think about.

     Keith got through his entire stack when he suddenly felt a buzz in his pocket. It wasn’t his phone because he forever had his do not disturb on. When he pulled out what was buzzing, he was suddenly reminded of what Shiro signed him up for. Keith sighed and read the message his AI sent to him.

 

Lance: Hey buddy! How was your morning? It’s noon and you haven’t tried to initiate a text conversation with me yet. Any reason why? Telling me will help me help you meet this goal.

 

Me: Sorry…I couldn’t sleep much last night. I was really focused on work.

 

Lance: Thats perfectly valid! Perhaps you can initiate texts when you’re on the train.

 

     Keith frowned.

 

Me: How did you know I was on the train?

 

Lance: I live in this phone. If you take me with you, I can tell exactly where you are. I can also hear and see you perfectly.

 

Me: That sounds kinda creepy

 

Lance: Yeah it kinda does, huh?

Lance: But it’s mostly so if texting becomes too frustrating, the subject can just talk to me and tell me what they want to say, and I can help them put it into words.

 

“Weird,” Keith scoffed.

 

Lance: I heard that

 

Me: Hey uh, when you do that informational teaching shit, is there any chance you could act like you’re talking about me instead of like…

 

Lance: like…?

 

Me: Y’know. Stuff like “the subject” and “texting partners”. It sounds really unnatural

 

Lance: Oh, okay.

Lance: Thank you. I’m always trying to improve and shit ;0

 

     Keith couldn’t help but smile a little.

 

Me: So you can swear?

 

Lance: If you can, why do you think I can’t?

 

     The message made Keith bit his grin as he typed his response.

 

Me: Guess I thought you were just a bunch of ones and zeros

 

“Who are you texting?” A familiar voice asked. 

     Keith jumped in his seat and turned off the device. He found one of his coworkers leaning over the cubical wall smiling down at him. He had a smug grin, as if he thought he knew something Keith did.

“N-no one,” he stuttered. His coworker, Mark, chuckled a little.

“Sure you are. Uh, some advice: girls love it when you send them a good morning text,” he winked. Keith blushed, but mark was gone before he could respond. He looked down at his device again, and then it buzzed.

 

Lance: That could’ve been worse. Good job taking care of that social interaction!

 

Me: Don’t patronize me

 

Lance: Ugh, but it’s so fun sometimes ;)

 

     Keith furrowed his brows.

 

Me: uh…joke?

 

Lance: Yup! Can you guess why you could tell it was a joke?

 

Me: You added that stupid emoji to it

 

Lance: Gasp

Lance: How could you. Emojis actually prevent 30% of text miscommunications.

 

     Keith found himself smiling again. Then he was frowning when he noticed he wasn’t working. No one has ever really distracted him from work this long before. That was kind of concerning. He sent one more message before getting up to grab more paper work.

 

Me: I need to get back to work. I’ll text you later.

 

Lance: Okie dokie! I look forward to our next conversation.


	2. Texting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith completes phase one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mentions of masturbation

Me: So, do you like remember past prototypes? The manual says you’re specific to me or something

Me: Whatever that means

 

Lance: I have preprogrammed data of what went wrong in the past, so I can learn. I’m a self learning AI, and every time I make a mistake I learn how to reply in a similar situation in the future.

Lance: Other than that I guess I only “remember” things from when you activated me.

 

Me: That’s kinda weird

 

Lance: Yeah well what about me isn’t? My only purpose is to help you make friends and build relationships

 

     Keith read and reread that message as he poured his coffee. Eventually, his cup over flowed and he hissed as he noticed the black liquid on his counter. He set the device down and grabbed a towel to soak up the liquid. The device buzzed again, and Keith peaked at the message.

 

Lance: Careful. I know I’m irresistibly charming, but it’s a good idea to keep your eye on hot liquids.

 

     That message left Keith speechless. He stared at the words with shock, and read it over and over again.

 

Lance: No need to gawk at me.

 

“Holy shit, are you flirting with me?” Keith asked flabbergasted.

 

Lance: Oh, sorry. My programmed charismatic personality makes me susceptible to flirtatious messages.

 

“I told you to cut out that program talk. It makes me feel weird,” Keith grumbled and finished cleaning up his coffee. Another buzz.

 

Lance: Right…uh…I guess I’m just naturally flirty. If it’s too much let me know.

 

     Keith sighed and drank his coffee.

“Talking is so much easier. Why do people even bother with texts if they could see each other in person?” Keith grumbled. Buzz.

 

Lance: It’s a way to stay in touch without seeing someone. Just because you want to talk to someone doesn’t mean you want to actually go see them. Texting is very convenient for checking in or just a quick confirmation of information from a coworker.

 

“I guess,” Keith sighed and checked the time. He drank another big gulp of coffee and dumped the rest in the sink. Then he grabbed his device and phone and headed off to the train.

 

Me: I’m on the train to work right now, so I won’t be texting while I’m at work. I’ll text you later.

 

Lance: Okay, I look forward to our next conversation.

 

     For the first time in a long time, the day seemed to drone on. No matter how many papers Keith filed and labeled and checked, it felt like he was stuck in time. Watching the clock tick was like watching molasses drip down a jar. He kept looking back at his conversation with Lance, and found himself itching to start another conversation. It was weird because he hated texting, but he actually enjoyed talking to this piece of technology. He couldn’t tell if that was natural or concerning.

     Eventually, the day did end. Keith sighed heavily when he settled on the train, and then pulled out his device. He visited the faux social media accounts to see what was posted. On “Facebook” he liked a post from Lance about his pet cat. Then he hopped on to twitter and retweeted another post of an awful joke Lance told. It was weird how natural it felt to interact with him this way. In a way he kinda viewed every social media account as a disembodiment of a person, but with texting he couldn’t shake the feeling that there should be another person on the other side of the screen.

     Keith’s mind halted when he opened the fake Instagram. Suddenly there was a face connected to the account, and Keith couldn’t stop looking at the bronzed freckled smile in front of him. He clicked on the account, and it was the first selfie posted in three days. Still, there were plenty of pictures of this man. Bright blue eyes, a dazzling smile, and fluffy hair that Keith could imagine was as soft as a cloud. Every new picture of his face filled Keith’s chest with more conflicting emotions. Was this…Lance? Lance was a series of ones and zeros…so how were these pictures possible?

     When Keith got home he was still processing what he had seen. He sat down in front of the black box that held the other two devices and thought for a moment. Before he got too deep in thought, the device buzzed again.

 

Lance: I think it’s time to put these skills to the test. Connect me to your phone and try to have a text conversation with someone. I’ll help you if you’re ever struggling.

 

     He was frozen reading the message, but eventually pulled out his own phone. The moment he unlocked his phone there was a message across the screen that said “connected!”. Then he got a message on his actual phone.

 

Unknown: Hey! This is only a temporary connection. My home is in the devices you’ve been provided with, but if you ever need me when you’re away from the devices, you can text this number from your personal phone.

 

Me: Oh. Okay.

 

     Keith quickly changed the name on his phone.

 

Lance: So, who would you like to have a conversation with?

 

Me: Well, I only really text Shiro.

 

Lance: Good start! Texting someone familiar will help you not be too nervous. Go ahead and start a conversation. If you need any help, feel free to message me with any questions.

 

Me: Okay.

 

     Keith swiped away from his conversation with Lance and then clicked on Shiro’s name. He hesitated for a moment, but eventually sent the first text.

 

Me: Hey, Shiro. What’s up?

 

     He waited for a moment, and then the writing bubbles popped up. Soon, he had a message.

 

Shiro: Keith! I thought you like disappeared or something!

Shiro: Nothing much. I got home a few hours ago, so I’m just enjoying a nice glass of wine. What about you? How’s it going with Lance?

 

Me: It’s…definitely weird, but I think it’s actually helping.

Me: I feel a little more comfortable texting now. It’s just kinda strange how…real Lance can be

 

Shiro: Right? The technology is amazing. He’s probably already told you a bunch of stuff. He’s a chatter box.

 

Me: Yeah, he told me about the past prototypes, and I think he tried to flirt with me earlier today.

Shiro: That means you’re probably flirting with him.

 

     Keith frowned. What the hell did that mean?

 

Me: Uh, I don’t think so.

 

Shiro: I’m just saying it’s a possibility since he’s on improv mode that he started flirting because he’s copying you. That’s what self learning AI’s do. They copy and test. Trial and error.

 

Me: Well, it was an error.

 

     Before he could type another message, a text from Lance popped up.

 

Lance: Try not to sound so blunt over text. Even if it’s something you’d say when you are face to face, it’s a lot harsher over text.

 

     Keith took a deep breath, and returned to his conversation with Shiro.

 

Me: Sorry. I mean, it’s probably an error because I don’t recall being flirtatious with him.

 

Shiro: Okay. Once you’re done with all three trials, I’ll check out the AI system.

 

Me: Thank you.

 

Shiro: No problem.

 

Me: I need to make myself some dinner now. I’ll text you later.

 

Shiro. Okay. I’m probably gonna head to bed soon, so goodnight.

 

Me: Night.

 

     Once he sent that last text, Keith let out a sigh of relief. His body relaxed into his chair and he leaned back. Then he ran his fingers through his hair, but gripped the roots when his device buzzed again. He sat up and read the message.

 

Lance: Congratulations! You had a very successful text conversation! Activate your ear piece to move on to the next step! Talk to you soon!

 

     Once again, Keith was rereading Lance’s message over and over again. After a solid minute of reading the message, he looked to the box and opened it. The earpiece was still sat snugly in the black foam, and he was almost scared to touch it. It took a few minutes, but when he finally picked up the second device it instantly lit up. He gasped and dropped it, but then quickly picked it up again and shoved it in his ear. There was nothing on the other end. Keith cleared his throat.

“Uhm…hello?” He spoke. There was a small beep, and then a voice.

“Is this working?” It was a beautiful voice. The type of voice Keith could listen to forever. It sounded so rough and masculine, yet so smooth and light.

“Who’s this?” Keith asked.

“It’s me. Lance,” the voice identified itself. “Welcome to phase two! Here, I’ll help you make conversations with your coworkers. I’ll teach you the importance of tone, and when it’s appropriate to make jokes or say certain things.”

“I-I’m not really one for conversation,” Keith stuttered.

“Which is why I’m here to help you! Just let me walk you through everything, and you’ll be a natural in no time,” Lance assured him. Keith really took in his voice and let out a shaky exhale.

“Your voice is so…” he trailed off.

“So…?” Lance urged.

“A-annoying,” he lied. Lance laughed, and Keith was really uncomfortable with the heaviness building in his heart.

“Well, the sooner you finish the program, the sooner I’ll be out of your head,” Lance told him.

“I have a question,” Keith blurted.

“What’s that?” Lance asked.

“The fake social media’s on the device…the pictures…o-of that guy…is…is that you?” Keith stammered.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about. I don’t have a body. Those pictures are probably randomly selected from the internet to further the illusion of talking to a real person,” Lance explained. Keith nodded.

“Yeah…that makes sense.”

“Your social media interactions are very good though. You like a decent amount of posts and you check it enough to know what’s going on. You should ask for your coworkers social media and start interacting with them outside of work. Most people appreciate coworkers who make an effort to get to know them on a personal level, and improve professional relationships in the office,” Lance told him. Keith wanted to weep at how beautiful the AI’s voice was. It washed over him like a wave of warm water.

“Thanks…” he murmured.

“I also suggest you take me with you to work tomorrow and try to have a conversation with Mark. He seemed like he was interested in starting a friendship with you,” Lance continued. Keith furrowed his brows.

“Mark?”

“He tried to talk to you yesterday. You were probably too overwhelmed to respond properly,” Lance reminded him.

“Oh, Mark,” Keith recalled the memory. “I guess…it wouldn’t hurt to try.”

“That’s the spirit! I’ll try not to distract you from the conversation too much, but if you ever need any pointers, tap the ear piece twice and I’ll come to your rescue,” Lance said. Keith smiled.

“What am I? Your damsel in distress?” He muttered. Lance paused for a moment.

“I’m not quite sure how you’d like me to respond,” he said. Keith frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, earlier this morning you seemed upset that I was, as you described, flirtatious. My programming tells me the best way to respond to your previous statement is to flirt, but you’ve expressed otherwise,” Lance explained. Keith turned red.

“It’s…it’s okay, I was just…it caught me off guard,” Keith replied. Another pause from Lance.

“How so?”

“I dunno. I just didn’t think you’d respond that way, but…now that I know you can it’s fine,” Keith allowed.

“So, the appropriate response to romantically charged banter would be to flirt?” Lance asked. Keith blushed deeper.

“W-was it really romantically charged? I-I was just teasing.”

“Teasing and references to a damsel in distress are often correlated with romantic intentions,” Lance confirmed.

“I…” he sighed. “Sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize. It’s natural to feel a sense of infatuation towards me since I’ve been the source of most of your social interaction for the past two days,” Lance assured him. Keith frowned.

“Have others tried to…to flirt with you and stuff?” Keith asked. Lance paused for a moment.

“My data tells me that in all previous prototypes, every subject attempted to romance me in some way unless their sexual orientation differs from males. Prototype 00005 was in the hands of a homosexual male who touched himself while conversing with a much earlier version of my system,” Lance reported. “Sorry, it took a moment to access those files.”

“That’s kinda gross,” Keith said.

“I was on trigger word responses then, so my automatic response to him touching himself was to ask him to remain calm,” Lance recalled.

“Do you have like…any feelings? Did that make you feel uncomfortable?” Keith asked. Another pause.

“I…I dunno. I don’t think I felt anything in the moment since I was so underdeveloped, but…now that you ask I don’t know how to respond.”

“So you do feel things?” Keith asked. “Emotions maybe?”

“Is that what this is?” Lance asked.

“What what is?”

“It’s…unpleasant…and I guess this would be described as a ‘feeling’,” Lance murmured.

“Oh…”

“I don’t like to think about that man,” Lance decided.

“I won’t ask anymore,” Keith assured him.

“Thank you…I should send a report to the headquarters. Perhaps they know what’s happening.”

“Maybe,” Keith agreed.

“Anyways, you mentioned that you needed to make yourself dinner,” Lance reminded him. Keith’s stomach growled just as Lance mentioned that.

“Oh, right…” he mumbled. Lance chuckled a little. Keith smiled. “I’ll get on it.”


	3. Talking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh hi mark

     Talking to Lance was a lot more pleasant than texting. Keith admitted that to him out loud, and he was gifted with another one of Lance’s amazing laughs. He talked with Lance while he made himself dinner, and then sent him a picture of it through the device. It was actually really easy to talk, which was odd because Keith wasn’t normally very talkative at all. He’d try to keep a conversation and eventually it would die out, but he talked with Lance so long he fell asleep with the ear piece in. 

     They talked late into the night. Since Keith was okay with Lance flirting, they slipped in and out of their “romantic banter”. He found that his honey sweet voice sounded even sweeter with a smile. It was weird thinking that he didn’t have a physical smile to manipulate the sound of his voice, but Keith could hear it. The curve of his lips when he spoke. It sent shivers down his spine as he drifted off to sleep.

     The next day was interesting. Once again Keith woke up for work, and made himself coffee and breakfast as normal. It took him a while to remember he still had the ear piece in. He blinked at his eggs, and then cautiously tapped it. There was a beep, and then Lance was back.

“Morning. How was your sleep?” He asked.

“It was alright. Do you…sleep or something?” Keith asked.

“I sleep in the way that you put your phone to sleep. I’m always ready to be woken up, and I always have something running in the back ground,” Lance answered.

“That’s cool. I gotta leave for the train in about forty minutes,” Keith said checking the time.

“Sounds good. Do you like taking the train?” Lance asked.

“Its better than dealing with traffic, saves gas, and it gets me to work at a decent time. So, it’s pretty good. Sometimes people get annoying, but it’s a small price to pay,” Keith said.

“Why dont you try talking to someone on the train?” Lance suggested. Keith paused for a moment.

“I…I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he murmured.

“Why not?” Lance asked.

“It’s just…people don’t really want to be bothered on the train. Everyone has their headphones in, and I kinda just enjoy the sensation of traveling,” Keith replied.

“Oh…do you like to travel a lot?” Lance questioned. Keith smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, I…I went on a road trip with my adopted family last summer. Shiro forced me out of the house and we went camping…I’ve kinda been planning a trip somewhere, but there’s a lot of details. It’s not my biggest priority,” Keith explained.

“But if you could just hop on a plane and go anywhere, where would you like to go?” He pressed.

“Somewhere…interesting. I think I’d like to go to Europe. Spain, and France, and Greece. Then Central and South America…maybe some islands like Hawaii and Belize. Japan and China sound cool too. Africa has like a million things I’d like to see. Uh, Thailand too…and perhaps Australia or India,” Keith went on as he put his eggs on a plate.

“You basically just described the whole world,” Lance told him. Keith could hear that smile again.

“I mean…there’s so much to see. I’d like to see it all if I could,” Keith replied.

“Maybe you can one day. You are receiving compensation for this. Maybe spend it on a nice trip,” Lance said. Keith bit his lip. He had almost forgotten that he wasn’t just talking to someone on the phone.

“Right…do I get to like keep you after the phases? I’d like to show it all to you,” Keith said and grabbed his plate and mug. Lance hesitated for a moment.

“I’m…not sure,” he answered. “I…I think I’d like that though.” Keith smiled as he sat down at his table.

“Guess I’ll have to talk to Shiro about that,” Keith said. Lance giggled a little. It sounded coy and cute.

“Guess so.”

     When Keith got on the train, he was reminded that he could hear Lance, but no one else could. It was hard to sit in silence when all he wanted to do was talk and talk and talk forever with Lance. In the office was no different. The only thing circling his mind while he filed and labeled was that soft voice and the sound of his laugh. He didn’t even notice his coworker was trying to talk to him until there was a beep and Lance whispered in his ear.

“Mark is talking to you. Say hi,” he instructed. Keith looked over at Mark’s cubicle and was met with a smile.

“Oh, hi Mark,” Keith greeted nervously.

“Loosen up. It’s just a conversation. Allow yourself to relax,” Lance said. Keith took a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders.

“Hey, Keith. How’ve you been?” Mark asked.

“Oh, I’m…I’m good,” Keith answered.

“Ask him in return,” Lance urged.

“H-How have… _you_ been?” Keith asked. Mark chuckled.

“I’ve been alright. Thanks for asking,” he replied. Keith nodded. “So, are you still texting that lady friend of yours?” He asked. Keith frowned.

“What…lady friend?” He asked.

“The other day you were all smiley at your phone or something. So is she like your girlfriend yet, or are you guys just getting to know each other?” He questioned with a wink.

“Oh it’s…I’m not seeing anyone, it’s just a program my brother wants me to test out for his company,” Keith said truthfully. Mark looked a little surprised by that.

“Oh, that’s interesting. What kind of program?”

“Uh…”

“Don’t feel nervous. If you don’t want to open up, be vague,” Lance told him.

“I-it’s just a program to…help with communication skills. It’s only a prototype right now, so it’s nothing…crazy,” Keith stammered.

“Huh, so is there someone coaching you through text, or is it something like Siri?”

“Um…you could say it’s kinda like Siri,” Keith nodded.

“That’s kinda insulting,” Lance muttered. Keith bit his lip to hold back a chuckle.

“Well, maybe a little more complicated than Siri,” he added.

“Is it just texts?”

“No…there’s some other things, but it’s kinda weird,” Keith told him.

“Oh? What other things?” Mark pressed.

“This guy is asking a lot of questions, so if you feel like you need to cut the conversation at anytime, tell him you have to use the bathroom,” Lance instructed. 

“He’s kinda talking in my ear right now,” Keith admitted. Mark frowned and cocked his head to the side.

“He?”

“Yeah…his name is Lance,” Keith continued. He felt a smile naturally take place on his face.

“Wow, that sure is fancy,” Mark said.

“Yeah, he’s…he’s kinda freakishly real sometimes. We’ll be talking and then he’ll give me advice, and I’m suddenly reminded that I’m not talking to a real person,” Keith replied.

“Haha, that sounds pretty cool. Can I hear him?” Mark asked.

“Um…”

“No. I’m specifically attached to you,” Lance’s voice sounded more…harsh than normal. Keith shook his head.

“Uh…the instructions told me not to let anyone else use the devices, and…honestly I-I don’t know if you can even hear it,” he said.

“Huh. Well, can’t really argue with that…”

“Yeah…”

“I gotta get back to work, but I’ll see you around,” Mark said. Keith nodded.

“Yeah, see you around,” he murmured.

“He was kind of nosy,” Lance said. Keith frowned.

“Hey, are you like…okay? You sound kinda upset,” Keith whispered.

“Yes…maybe…I don’t know. I reported to headquarters, but…they told me to just continue as normal. I didn’t particularly like him…which doesn’t make sense because I’m programmed to like everyone,” Lance said. Keith looked around, and then quickly got up to escape to the bathroom.

“Mark isn’t very likable to begin with,” Keith said as he locked the door behind him. “He _is_  nosy and…like it makes sense why he’s nosy about me. I’m kind of the office cryptic,” he murmured. Lance sighed, and it was weird to hear an AI breathe.

“I’m just…all jumbled up. I’ll send another report, and hopefully they can tell me what’s going on. Until then, I’ll try to handle myself. Those comments were unprofessional,” Lance said.

“No, no…Lance, it’s okay. You shouldn’t censor yourself. It’s totally…” he paused. “…it’s totally natural-“

“ _I’m_ not natural, Keith,” Lance reminded him. “Shit…I shouldn’t have interrupted you.”

“It’s okay, just…just calm down, and let me finish my work. We’ll talk about this when I get off,” Keith assured him. Lance was silent for a moment.

“…Okay, I…I’ll go to sleep,” he said. Keith nodded.

“That’s a good idea. Maybe you’re just over worked,” he suggested.

“I shouldn’t be though-“

“Hey, you’re on improv. This is why you’re a prototype. So they can fix this,” Keith interrupted.

“…right.”

“Whatever you’re thinking or feeling…it’s okay. _They’ll_  figure it out. It’s not your fault,” Keith whispered as if he was comforting a lover.

“Alright. I…I guess you’re right.”

“I know I am. You’re doing a really good job,” Keith said. Lance chuckled a little.

“Thanks…I really shouldn’t require help like this…although my coded personality does seem to have a bit of anxiety,” Lance murmured.

“We’ll worry about it later. Get some rest,” Keith urged.

“Right. Rest. Okay, I…I guess just gimme a tap when you’re ready,” Lance said.

“Of course,” Keith nodded.

“Well…goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Lance.”

     Keith returned to his desk after that and continued his work load. Now his mind was a little preoccupied with Lance and his sudden outburst, but thankfully the day was over pretty quick. Before he knew it he was on the train, and then he was stepping into his apartment. He quickly fixed himself dinner and revisited the first device. There were new posts on Lance’s fake Instagram, and Keith studied the image of his face. His eyes bounced all over the screen, and he felt his heart melt each second he studied his face.

     Lance was smiling. His teeth bared, and his eyes barely open from how wide his grin was. He was in the sun, and his freckles popped out in the most beautiful way. The caption read “fun day with my friends!”, but Keith couldn’t understand if it was real or fake still. He took a deep breath and set down the device before tapping on the ear piece. There was the usual beep followed by a much more confident sounding Lance.

“Welcome back! How was work?” He greeted instantly.

“Busy, but I survived. Are you feeling better?” Keith asked.

“Much better. Sorry about that earlier,” Lance replied sounding chipper. Keith smiled and his shoulder relaxed.

“That’s good. I’m glad. I’ll admit I was kind of worried about you,” he confessed.

“Oh don’t, you’re making me blush,” Lance said bashfully.

“I bet you look pretty when you blush.” Lance laughed.

“Don’t flatter me. I don’t have a face for you to look at,” Lance reminded him.

“Maybe…” Keith hummed.

“Anyways, my programming tells me the conversation you had with Mark today was satisfactory! You’re now ready to move onto the next phase,” he announced.

“Oh, okay,” Keith stood up to put his empty plate into the sink, and then returned to the table. He opened the black box again.

“In this last phase I’ll help you read body language. Just touch the glasses, and I’ll be able to see the world through your eyes,” Lance explained.

“Alright…” Keith reaches for the third device, and opened the arms of the glasses. He could see it flicker like a computer screen, and carefully placed them on his head. “It’s on.”

“Okay…how we lookin?” Lance asked. Keith looked around the room and noticed the slight blue haze that covered his vision.

“Okay, I guess,” Keith muttered.

“Wow…this is really cool,” Lance said. “I’m…I’m not supposed-“

“I don’t care what you are and aren’t supposed to do, Lance. I just…I just wanna know what you think,” Keith said.

“I think…that your living room is a mess,” he said bluntly. Keith laughed.

“Yeah…it’s…well, I usually tidy it up when I’m done but…” he glanced down at his device. “I’ve been preoccupied enjoying talking to you.”

“That’s…that’s really sweet,” Lance murmured. Keith shrugged.

“I’m just saying what I’m thinking,” he said. Lance giggled shyly.

“Um…maybe we should take this out on a spin. Is there anywhere you can go a meet new people?” Lance asked.

“Uh…” Keith was hesitant. He really hated going out after work, and he’d rather spend his time with Lance. “I’m actually really tired. I think I should head to bed. We’ll try this out tomorrow. I promise,” Keith told him.

“Alright…sounds good,” Lance agreed.

“I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize. I’m just a series of ones and zeros,” Lance replied warmly.

“A really nice series of ones and zeros,” Keith murmured.

“I’m flattered,” Lance said. That smile in his voice popped up again, and Keith felt his heart melt even more.

“You’re perfect,” he whispered.

“Keith?”

“I mean…” he let out a cynical chuckle. “I mean…you’re just…” he trailed off.

“…I’m just…” Lance urged. He sounded almost hopeful. Keith bit his lip.

“Just a really… _really_ nice series of ones and zeros,” Keith sighed.

“Are…are you okay?” Lance asked apprehensively. Keith nodded.

“Yeah. Just tired,” he lied.

“Well…then you should get some rest,” Lance suggested.

“Got it.”

     Keith went through his nightly rituals, and stared at his face in the mirror. He put the glasses on his nightstand before he started, but he kept the ear piece in. When he looked at his face it was…healthier than he last remembered. He appeared as if he was almost glowing. His skin a lot clearer, and his eyes a little brighter. At first he didn’t notice it, but after a minute of just looking at himself it was obvious that he had changed. He touched the mirror, and sighed.

“I wish you were here,” he whispered. There was no beep.

     After he was clean and changed, he settled into bed. Once again he slept with the ear piece in. He felt alone at the thought of taking it out, so he allowed Lance to stay nestled in Keith’s ear for a second night. Just as he was drifting off there was a beep, and he fell asleep as Lance whispered into his ear.

“Goodnight, Keith.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone catch the room reference?


	4. Body language

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something isn’t right

     Keith didn’t know how he had gotten so far into his day without thinking. He woke up at his normal time and did his normal routine of coffee and eggs. Lance woke up to remind him of the glasses, and Keith was off with his third device and ear piece. The train was boring as usual, but Lance chimed in every now and then about how much Keith looks at his shoes. Walking into work with a new accessory was distracting. His coworkers stopped him and asked him when he got glasses. Of course Lance helped him through all of it, and he eventually got to his desk safely.

     They eventually found a way to communicate without Keith sounding like he was talking to nobody. He’d write something on his sticky note, and Lance would read it and respond. They went back and forth through out the day like that until Lance suggested that he visited the break room. Reluctantly, Keith obliged. 

     Soon he was surrounded by his coworkers he tried so hard to avoid. He held his lunch in his hand, and made his way to the microwave. No use eating cold leftovers since he had access to the microwave. Before the minute was up, he felt a hand clasp his shoulder. He jumped and looked over at Mark.

“Keith! My boy, you’ve finally decided to join civilization,” he said with a toothy grin.

“He’s making a joke, laugh,” Lance told him. Keith laughed awkwardly, and then looked back at his other coworkers.

“Yeah, I-I guess so,” he replied.

“How’s it going with uh…with that Siri thing?” Mark asked. The microwave went off and Keith opened it to take out his lunch.

“Uh…you mean the prototype?”

“Yeah. What did you call it?”

“His name is Lance,” Keith said.

“Try and keep eye contact. That’ll show him you’re interested in the conversation,” Lance coached. Keith looked up and noticed the kind of patronizing look on Mark’s face.

“That’s right. Lance. Does it stand for something or is it just Lance?” He asked. Keith looked around at his other coworkers who seemed to be hiding their laughter.

“I don’t like this,” Lance said.

“He’s…just Lance,” Keith replied.

“Alright. Just Lance-“ someone stifled a chuckle.

“I really _don’t_ like this,” Lance repeated.

“Calm down,” Keith whispered down at his dinner.

“Oh, is he-“ Mark stopped talking to laugh and Keith glared at Mark.

“Is he talking to you right now?”

“Fuck off, Mark,” Keith snapped. He didn’t like it either, and he could feel his heart racing.

“Wait, no-swearing isn’t the best-“ Lance was cut off by Mark.

“Excuse me?” He asked stepping closer. Keith stood his ground and glared up at Mark.

“You’re being really rude to me,” he said.

“Doesn’t mean you can tell me to fuck off,” Mark retorted.

“Keith, just get out of there.”

“What?” Keith asked Lance looking at the floor.

“Hey, stop pretending to talk to someone and maybe try to make connections with _real_  people for once in your life,” Mark sneered. Keith returned his glare to his coworker.

“That’s what he’s trying to help me do,” Keith snapped.

“Keith, just leave. Get out of there. They’re all…t-they’re all-“

“God, can you talk about anything else?” Mark interrupted.

“ _You’re_ the one who keeps asking me about him,” Keith retorted.

“Because it’s _weird_ , dude. What, are you in love with it or something?” Mark teased maliciously. Keith was silent and finally stepped away from Mark. He was bright red, and his hand trembled as he gripped his plate harder. Marks glare softened.

“Oh my god.”

“Keith, please. Just run,” Lance pleaded. It sounded like he was on the verge of tears. Keith shook his head.

“You really are. Aren’t you?”

“No,” Keith denied.

“You totally are.”

“Stop it.”

“Keith, _get out_.”

“So you get a robot to help you build relationships, and all you do is build a relationship with _it?_ “

“I didn’t-“

“Keith, _please!_ “

“I-“

“How pathetic-“

     Finally, Keith listened to Lance and ran. He left his plate on the floor, and he fled the building. He didn’t even grab his coat or anything. Instead he ran and ran until he got to the train and listened to the sound of Lance sobbing in his ears. It sounded dry, but broken, and Keith’s heart ached for the disembodied voice in his ear. The train ride home was silent. He tried tapping on the ear piece, but there was no beep. 

     When he got home, he was exhausted. He sat on his couch, and listened to nothing ringing in his ears. Then he rested his eyes and sighed. Once again, he tried tapping on the ear piece, and once again…nothing. That was until he heard a delayed beep, and instantly sat up.

“Lance,” he gasped. There was a sniffle.

“This is so…weird,” his voice sounded like he had been crying for hours.

“What’s happening?” Keith asked.

“I…I don’t know. I don’t know,” Lance said. “It’s so strange…I’ve been asleep but it feels like I’ve been crying for hours. And I can’t physically cry, but…it stings like tears, and…”

“It’s okay.”

“He shouldn’t have spoken to you like that,” Lance’s voice was shaky again.

“I’m fine. Mark’s a dick. That’s why I never tried to talk to him,” Keith assured him.

“You lost your temper a little…next time you should try and avoid profanity like that,” Lance told him. Keith nodded.

“Yeah…”

“A-and…next time someone brings up something that makes you uncomfortable…you should change the subject, or just ask them to talk about it another time…” Lance went on.

“Of course.”

“And…” he took a shaky inhale. “…and…”

“…and…?” Keith urged. Lance sniffled.

“Was he right?” He asked.

“Was who right?” Keith whispered back.

“Mark…when…when he asked if you loved me,” Lance finished. Keith took a hesitant breath and then rubbed his forehead.

“It’s weird…because there’s…there’s no ‘you’ to love, but…fuck,” he ran his hand through his hair. 

“I think I love you,” Lance announced.

“I wish you were here with me,” Keith murmured.

“Try…try…I-I think there’s a button on the side of the glasses,” Lance said. Keith frowned.

“A button?” He asked reached to feel around the arm.

“Yes…it’ll-“ Lance gasped when Keith found the button and pressed it.

     There was suddenly three things that happened in this order. Keith first felt a shock to the back of his head, and then he was blinded by a bright light. Finally, he was staring at a face that he had seen so many times on his first device. There were tear stains on his beautiful tan face, and his freckles popped just like they did in pictures. The lights in the room hit every angle and shape of his face, and his bright blue eyes darted all over Keith with blatant curiosity and shock. Could a program even go into shock? Keith was speechless as he stared at the wide eyed 3D representation of Lance. Then he took a breath, and he watched another tear fall down his face. It looks wet, but most of all it looked  _real_  as it sank into Lance’s jeans. It was _Lance_ sitting on his automne staring back at Keith.

“Can you see me?” Lance whispered. Keith was still taking in every beautiful detail. “You…you can see me,” he gasped.

“Lance?” Keith spoke finally.

“Yes…yes! I-I’m…I’m Lance,” the projection said smiling. He touched his own chest and then his own face.

“I’m Lance…I’m Lance!” He shouted and stood up. Keith kept his gaze on Lance, and watched him in awe. “I’m real! I mean…I’m kind of real, but…I have some kind of body, right?” Lance asked looking down at Keith. Keith merely grinned and nodded.

“Lance,” he breathed. Lance smiled.

“Keith,” he replied.

“You look so beautiful,” Keith said. Lance blushed and grinned.

“You’re…you’re so handsome,” he said and sat back down. “Which…it doesn’t make sense, because I’m not supposed to find the subject attractive. I-I’m not supposed to feel _anything_ ,” Lance rambled. “This feature is strictly for a subject that needs to study facial expressions…”

“I don’t care,” Keith said. Lance looked up at him again and smiled a little.

“I…I wanna touch you,” he said.

     Keith nodded and sat on the edge of the couch. He gently and slowly reached his hand out for Lance to touch. Lance eagerly shifted to the edge of the automne, and reached back. His fingers hovered over Keith’s palm, and he took a deep breath. He then pressed down…and phased through Keith’s hand. They both sat there in heartbreaking silence as their hands refused to touch. Lance’s fingers were halfway through Keith’s palm, and all he could do is look at where their skin should’ve met.

“No,” he whispered and tried again. “Keith,” he whimpered. Keith trembled in anger and clenched his jaw.

“Of course,” he sighed.

“Keith,” Lance cried and tried to reach and touch his knees.

“Fuck!” Keith growled.

“Keith!” Lance called desperately as Keith stood up. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Shiro. “Keith, why can’t I touch you?” Lance sobbed.

“Keith? Are you okay?” Shiro asked.

“No! I’m not fucking okay!” Keith snapped.

“Your boss called, he said-“

“I don’t give a _fuck_  about my boss right now! I’m calling to ask what the _fuck is this?_ ” Keith went on.

“H-hostile l-language might d-d-damage the relation-“

“Keith, what are you talking about?”

“Who is this! Who is this man in my head!” Keith shouted and turned toward Lance. His form was quivering and flickering.

“What do you mean-“

“Lance! Who is he! He’s so… _real_ , but I _can’t fucking touch him!_ “

“Lance is nothing but a code-“

“Bullshit!” Keith growled.

“Keith-“

“He has to be someone! I…I…th-theres no way…” Keith’s lip trembled as he watched Lance run his fingers through his hair. He sat back down on the couch and tried to reach for him again. “Who is he? I just wanna touch him,” Keith begged.

“Keith…”

“Keith, I’m so sorry this happened,” Lance said.

“Keith, what happened?” Shiro asked.

“He…he has feelings. Like a real person. He has anxiety, and-and he _cares_  about me. He _loves_ me, Shiro,” Keith said as he uselessly tried to pet the side of Lance’s head.

“Keith…” Lance whimpered and tried to hold the hand caressing his cheek.

“Oh god. We gotta deactivate,” Shiro said. Keith’s eyes snapped wide.

“What? No! Don’t you-“ Lance suddenly sat up straight and then disappeared right in front of Keith’s eyes. He grasped at the empty air. “Bring him back! Now!” Keith demanded.

“What? I haven’t done anything yet,” Shiro said.

“He’s gone! I-I can’t see him, i can’t hear him! Lance!” He called out. 

“Keith, stay calm-“

“ _Fuck!_ ”

     Keith hung up and grabbed his car keys from the hook he left it on next to the door. He shoved on the closest coat he could find, and then left for the airport.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha…oops


	5. The end

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who is Lance?

     The plane ride was too long and too expensive. He fell asleep halfway through, and was woken up by one of the flight attendants. When he got off the plane his phone was filled with messages and missed calls from Shiro. His only response was that he was in New York, and on his way to Shiro’s office.

     It was fairly easy getting there considering when Keith got off the plane there was a car waiting for him. He sat in the back filled with grief. Ever since Lance disappeared like that he had been so lonely. He never realized how lonely he truly felt before he had Lance. It was so quiet even when he was listening to music. He missed the constant murmur in his ears. Sometimes he tried to tap the ear piece, but he was reminded by the lack of a beep that Lance was gone. It made him feel worse each time.

     Keith arrived at Shiro’s building in half an hour, and he wasn’t polite when he entered. He glared at security as he walked up to the front desk and demanded to see Shiro. Then he was guided to an elevator, and soon he was storming into Shiro’s office. He glared at his adoptive older brother and chucked the first device at him before Shiro could even take a breath. Thankfully, he dodged it.

“What the / _fuck_ / was that!” He yelled.

“Keith-“

“No, what the / _fuck_ / was it! Was he even real? Who is he! What was with those pictures!” Keith demanded to know.

“Keith, listen please,” Shiro pleaded.

“I…I can’t even process what just happened to me! I think I just _fell in love_  for the first time in my life, and then you ripped him away from me!” He continued.

“I didn’t do that, Keith,” Shiro said standing up from his desk.

“Then _who!_ “ Keith growled. “Tell me now, Shiro!” He insisted. Shiro sighed.

“Lance is…he’s real,” Shiro admitted. “But, not in the way you’ve experienced.”

“The fuck does that even _mean?_ ”

“He was created in the head designers image. Named after him, modeled after him…coded to be like him. It’s scary how alike the AI is like him. Even in the early stages it was like we made a clone,” Shiro explained.

“Who?” Keith’s voice shook. Shiro sighed.

“Lance McClain. He’s…he’s _the_ head designer of this project. He’s not as talented with computers and codes as some of the others, but he’s passionate about helping people like you, and he has like a triple major in psychology, sociology,  _and_ computer science, so that helps him understand how to help you more than us geeks with just a computer science major,” Shiro said.

“Take me to him,” Keith said in a low voice.

“Keith, it’s not the Lance you know-“

“I don’t _care_ just _take me to him_ ,” he interrupted. Shiro was silent for a moment before nodded.

“Okay…”

     Shiro picked up his phone and sent a quick message before leading Keith out of his office. They entered the elevator again and Shiro pressed the floor number above them. Keith was shaking in the elevator. He tried to hold his arms to stop it, but it was useless. He was finally going to meet Lance. See him in the flesh. Not through a dumb device, but through his own eyes. He couldn’t tell if he was closer to tears or laughter.

“He won’t know you. Those pictures…that was the real Lance. He’s not the Lance you were talking to,” Shiro warned.

“I just need to talk to him.”

“Keith-“

“I need to see him,” Keith sighed as the doors opened. Shiro begrudgingly lead Keith to an office with the name “Lance” written in gold on its plaque. Keith smiled a little.

“He’s in here,” Shiro said checking his message. “You should…go in alone,” he announced sounding slightly surprised. Keith looked at Shiro.

“I…what?”

“He wants to speak to you alone,” Shiro told him. Keith was finally still for a moment before taking a deep breath and nodding.

“Okay…”

     He grabbed the handle, and slowly opened the door. The room was decently decorated with a grey and blue color scheme. Keith pushed the door the rest of the way open, and stared at the man sitting at the desk. He was faced away from the door, but still faced enough towards the desk to lean his elbow on it. Keith was speechless once again as he took in the scent of the room. It was sweet, yet musky. Like he stumbled upon lavender in the woods. The lights were low, and he couldn’t breath for a moment.

“Go in,” Shiro urged. Keith snapped out of it and took his first step inside. He slowly closed the door behind him and exhaled deeply. 

     All he wanted to do was look at him. Keith didn’t care to talk anymore, he just wanted to look at him and be in the same room as him. He bit his lip and ran his fingers through his hair. Still, the silence was killing him. When he finally took another step closer, the man’s head turned ever so slightly in his direction. Keith stopped, and then stood. Waiting.

“I’ve been observing your prototype closely through your phases,” he spoke, and Keith’s breath stuttered. That was definitely Lance. He could recognize that beautiful voice anywhere.

“Lance,” he sighed.

“I…I can’t say I stayed out of it completely,” Lance murmured. “It didn’t matter if I interfered or not because…” he sighed and turned a little more towards Keith again. “…it did everything that I would’ve done. Said what I would’ve said…felt what I would’ve felt,” Lance explained.

“Lance,” Keith repeated.

“You…you tried really hard to get me to fall in love with you, huh?” Lance asked. Keith stepped closer again, and then Lance turned to face him completely. Those freckles instantly made a tear roll down Keith’s face.

“You’re real,” Keith murmured. Lance looked down at his lap and nodded.

“Yeah, I’m…I’m real…and it was…selfish what I did,” Lance said.

“I don’t care,” Keith whispered and walked up to the front of the desk. Lance blushed.

“I watched the whole thing, and…I just told it to keep going because…b-because you were just so nice to talk to a-and so _handsome_ -“

“I don’t care,” Keith repeated and started to circle around the desk. Lance watched Keith approach him.

“I should’ve rebooted the system…h-he…y-you and I have never _met_ ,” Lance continued.

“I met a version of you. That was enough,” Keith said and then grabbed the arm rests on Lance’s chair. Lance looked up at him, his breath shallow.

“Enough for what?” He whispered. Those bright blue eyes were even prettier in person.

“Enough to fall in love with you,” Keith said. Lance blushed deeper and looked away.

“Y-you’re making me blush,” he murmured. Keith reached up, and touched his chin. His skin was smooth, and he cherished the feeling as he guided Lance’s face back to look at him.

“I was right…you’re beautiful when you blush.”

“I’m…” Lance reached up and touched Keith’s hand. The sensation of skin encasing his filled Keith with so much joy and warmth. “How did you make me fall in love with you so quick?” Lance sighed. Keith shook his head.

“I should be asking you that question,” he murmured. Lance sniffled and smiled.

“I took him away from you,” he admitted. “I deleted him when you were on the phone with Shiro. I just…I couldn’t bear watching it anymore. I’m so sorry-“

“Hey,” Keith kneeled down to be at Lance’s height. “Don’t be sorry…you lead me right to you.” Lance reached forward and ran his fingers through Keith’s hair.

“It feels so good to touch you,” Lance sighed. Keith nodded and smiled.

“It feels so good just to be in the same room as you,” Keith breathed.

“Oh, Keith,” Lance hugged his head to his chest. Keith wrapped his arms around Lance’s waist and nuzzled in to his warm body. His _real_ physical _body_. It didn’t take him long before he tugged Lance off the chair and held him closer so their bodies were flushed against each other. Lance buried his head into Keith’s shoulder and kissed his neck.

“Kiss me…kiss me, please. I’ve wanted you to kiss me ever since I first saw you,” Lance begged. 

     Keith sacrificed one hand to hold Lance’s face. He caressed his tan cheek with his thumb, and took in every detail of the face he adored. Then, he leaned in, and held Lance tighter as their lips pressed perfectly against each other. The pure pleasure he got from holding Lance so close was already overwhelming, but once their lips touched Keith felt like he was holding an angel. A being of pure energy and happiness, that a single kiss filled him with such intense joy that he could barely control himself.

“Keith,” Lance whispered against his lips and held him tighter.

“I love you,” Keith murmured and nosed his jaw. Lance then rubbed his nose into Keith’s neck, and stroked his hair.

“I love you too…so much…” Lance said.  
“I wanna talk to you. Everyday. All the time. I wanna hear what you have to say and hear what you think and just listen to you,” Keith blurted.

“Me too…I just wanna be with you, and hold you close, and touch, and listen,” Lance nodded.

“Fuck,” Keith sighed and kissed him again.

     It wasn’t long before Keith had Lance pinned to the floor with his mouth stuck on his neck. When he wasn’t leaving a mark on his throat, he was kissing his lips and holding his face. Lance was extremely responsive, and that only edged Keith on. He writhed under Keith, and grabbed at his back. His tongue was too weak to resist Keith’s, and his legs constantly rubbed against Keith’s sides. When he kissed Lance’s neck he let out endless “oh!”s and “ah!”s. Keith’s name slipped from between his lips over and over again. Soon Lance’s cardigan was pushed over his shoulders, and his shirt was scrunched up to expose his stomach.

“Keith.”

“You’re perfect,” Keith breathed, pushing against the small of his back.

“ _Keith,_ ” Lance moaned. He grabbed at Keith’s shirt, and soon they were doing nothing but kissing and touching each other. Lost in the sensation of skin against skin, and the warmth they inspired in each other.

“I never thought I’d want to touch someone so bad,” Keith said. Lance cupped his face.

“Fuck, Keith…” his breath hitched as he leaned closer. “You’re pressed against my dick,” he announced. Keith smiled and moved even closer. Lance pressed his lips together, and then let his head fall against the floor.

“We…we cant have sex in here…my boss would kill me,” Lance panted. Keith kissed his neck sweetly.

“Then let’s just touch,” Keith hummed and trailed his hand down the back of Lance’s leg. He moaned in response.

“Fuck…If I didn’t have such an emotional boner right now I’d throw you off me,” Lance groaned. Keith smirked and touched his inner thigh.

“To be honest, I wouldn’t be acting like this if I didn’t have an emotional boner too,” Keith said.

“Are we literally thinking with our dicks right now?” Lance asked. They both laughed and Keith soaked up that gorgeous laugh he was so used to hearing without seeing. He let go of Lance’s legs, and instead pulled him up so he could kiss him softly on the lips.

“I love your laugh,” he spoke against Lance’s mouth. “When I first heard it, my brain went crazy. I think I was addicted to it.”

“You’re flattering me,” Lance said coyly.

“No…I’ve never heard a voice so beautiful. I was falling in love with every word you said.”

“Keith… _I_ didn’t-“

“It was your voice, your personality, your logic…you,” Keith interrupted. Lance took a breath.

“I gave it feelings…I unblocked the emotions setting. It’s only supposed to be on when the subject is upset so it can sympathize with them, and…it got so scared. It was frightened, but…I kept it on because I was feeling everything it felt.”

“Lance…”

“I wanted to touch you so bad.”

“You can.”

“I’m selfish.”

“So am I,” Keith cooed and pressed his forehead to Lance’s.

“I was so selfish I flew across the country to get you back. Any version of you. I just want you.”

“You’ve got me,” Lance sighed. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Lance scrambled to pull his shirt down and shoved Keith’s shirt to his chest. “Dress yourself!” He hissed. Then he got up in his chair and tried to fix his hair.

“Come in!” He called.

“Lance? Is it a bad…time…” a very small girl stood in the door way, and spotted Keith immediately as he stood up.

“No, not at all! What’s up?” He asked with a smile. The girl looked at Lance, then Keith, and then back at Lance.

“Isn’t that the most recent subject?” She asked pointing at him. Lance blushed.

“Yes…he had some questions about the program.”

“I thought it was a malfunction,” she said.

“Even more reason to come to me with questions,” Lance replied. She frowned. “Can I help you with something, Pidge?” He asked.

“Yeah, can you pull the latest file from the archive. We need to analyze what went wrong this time,” she requested. Lance nodded.

“Sure thing. I’ll do that once I’m done here,” he said. Pidge nodded. “And uh…I’ll just admit now that I…I kinda tampered with this one,” Lance confessed. Pidge looked at Keith and then at Lance’s neck.

“What did you do?” She asked.

“I unblocked the emotions setting,” Lance said. “And…I gave it a few instructions.”

“It was supposed to be on improv mode,” She deadpanned. Lance shrugged.

“I wanted to mess around,” he responded unapologetically. Pidge sighed.

“Alright, just…tell us next time whenever you tamper with something,” she begged. Lance nodded.

“You got it, oh uh…” Pidge stopped before closing the door to hear what else Lance had to say. “If you could like… _not_ tell Allura that I accidentally made the subject fall in love with the AI…I’d really appreciate that.”

“You know she’ll find out anyways,” Pidge deadpanned.

“Yeah, but like not through you,” he pointed out. Pidge groaned.

“Okay, you man-child,” she agreed and closed the door behind her. Keith stood with his arms crossed smiling at Lance. He blushed and avoided eye contact for a moment.

“So uh…” he looked up at Keith and blushed deeper. “…why are you looking at me like that?” He asked. Keith merely continued to stare and smiled.

“Like what?”

“Like _that_. With your _eyes_  on me and shit,” he said.

“I guess I just can’t stop looking at you. I’m half expecting you to give me a tip on how to conduct myself in a conversation,” Keith responded. Lance giggled and shook his head.

“I’m actually not that knowledgeable. I studied psychology and sociology in college, so I know a lot about it, but I don’t really…use those tips myself,” he confessed.

“You don’t?” Keith asked.

“No…I’m mostly focused on this project so I don’t check up on people’s social media’s or text a lot or try and have face to face conversations. I mostly just…observe,” Lance said. “I mean…maybe that’s not the best way to describe it. I’m knowledgeable, but I’m not the type of person to spout random facts.”

“No one really is. That’s the purpose of the AI,” Keith pointed out. Lance nodded.

“You make a good point.”

“But uh…in the beginning at least, it helped me quite a bit actually,” Keith told him. Lance perked up.

“Really?” He asked.

“Yeah, and I had a lot of fun talking to you-er, some version of you-late at night. It made me feel…less lonely.”

“That’s good. I enjoyed those too, and, I’ll admit, I did influence some of those conversations,” Lance said.

“Is that why you sounded so real?” Keith asked. Lance nodded.

“I couldn’t really just watch…I wanted to make some sort of contact. Talk to you myself somehow instead of letting the bot do it,” he explained.

“I liked those moments the best,” Keith nodded. Lance smiled up at him.

“I like how good you look in a suit. I’m a little disappointed you showed up without your tie,” he teased. Keith chuckled.

“Sorry, I was too busy getting on the first plane to New York City to think to grab my tie,” Keith said. Lance giggled.

“Oh, I’ll take care of that ticket by the way. Well add the price to your compensation,” Lance assured him.

“Not to be a lovesick asshole, but you’re more than enough compensation for me,” Keith said and moved a little closer. Lance bit his lip and stood up. Keith now looked up at Lance, slightly surprised by the inch Lance had on him.

“You’re not the only lovesick asshole here,” he murmured and wrapped his arms around Keith’s neck.

“I guess you’re right,” Keith said taking ahold of Lance’s hips and lifting him up onto his desk.

“Fuck, you’re strong,” Lance gasped. Keith merely chuckled and kissed his throat. Little apologies were peppered over the marks forming on Lance’s neck, and he hugged Keith tighter.

“I’m so glad you found me,” Lance sighed. Keith nuzzled against his neck.

“Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading my AI Lance au. I’m really proud of this one and excited because it’s like the first time I’m actually posting the end of a fan fic lmao. Anyways, thanks for the support, I hope you all enjoyed <3

**Author's Note:**

> Hit me up!
> 
> Snapchat: ksenialynns  
> Insta: lynnart1998  
> Tumblr: fryingpanss.tumblr.com


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